Approach to ethical behavior
Aymara has chosen to manufacturer its garments where the material and expertise have its' origin even if it means that Aymara cannot always find manufacturers who live up to the high social and
environmental standards that Aymara insist on. Instead of excluding manufacturers who do not meet Aymara's high ethical standards, Aymara choose to work with manufacturers who either meet the
standards or are genuinely and seriously taking on changing their way of running their business. This way, Aymara can help change the situation of workers and environment in countries where ethical
production has not yet caught on in the local business environment. Changing the behavior of one company in such a place hopefully sets an example to follow for other companies around it. In this
way, Aymara have a much bigger impact than just producing at factories and in countries that have already changed. To ensure that the manufacturers who are in the process of changing do not cut
corners, Aymara demands that manufacturers are in the process of certifying their production practices.
Aymara has one primary manufacturer in Bolivia which manufactures 95% of all Aymara products. Aymara was created from the quality and skills of this manufacturer and has worked with them since the beginning in 2004. When Aymara started working with this manufacturer, it did not meet the high ethical standards that Aymara required/desired. Instead of excluding the manufacturer, Aymara decided to get deeply involved in the process of improving the ethical standards at the factory and working towards an ethical manufacturing certification. This process has benefitted from financial support from Danida, the Danish Government's development program for developing countries. The efforts have already resulted in many improvements in environmental performance and workers' conditions, which will lead to the manufacturer obtaining the leading independent ethical certification, SA8000, in 2010, when all improvements have been implemented. This approach requires a sustained partnership over many years between Aymara and the manufacturer, rather than shifting frequently from one manufacturer to another as is standard in the fashion world.
Another aspect of Aymara's approach to ethical business is to look beyond the direct suppliers to Aymara. This means that, in addition to looking at the manufacturers who ship directly to Aymara, we also look at conditions at the companies that supply to the manufacturers - all the way back to the suppliers of the raw materials. This can be a complicated task if the supplier network consists of many companies around the world. Luckily, Aymara's primary manufacturer covers the whole process from raw fibers over yarn spinning to finished garments. Therefore, most of the work put into an Aymara garment is performed by the same manufacturer who is a partner with Aymara in improving ethical standards. AYMARA is also looking into which steps can be taken to ensure improved ethical standards of suppliers of raw fibers and various supplemental inputs.
In addition to evaluating the supply chain, Aymara also look at the impact of its products after it is sold. As an example, Aymara only use biodegradable plastic bags from January 2010. The design and quality of the garments ensure longer lasting products. The minimum use of synthetic materials means that Aymara products do not cause harm to the environment after disposal. The goal is to ensure that the products have as little impact on the environment and use as few resources as possible.
Aymara has signed on to the UN Global Compact and Caring for Climate principles to support the ethical business movement and to show its own commitment.
www.unglobalcompact.org - www.sa-intl.org
Aymara has one primary manufacturer in Bolivia which manufactures 95% of all Aymara products. Aymara was created from the quality and skills of this manufacturer and has worked with them since the beginning in 2004. When Aymara started working with this manufacturer, it did not meet the high ethical standards that Aymara required/desired. Instead of excluding the manufacturer, Aymara decided to get deeply involved in the process of improving the ethical standards at the factory and working towards an ethical manufacturing certification. This process has benefitted from financial support from Danida, the Danish Government's development program for developing countries. The efforts have already resulted in many improvements in environmental performance and workers' conditions, which will lead to the manufacturer obtaining the leading independent ethical certification, SA8000, in 2010, when all improvements have been implemented. This approach requires a sustained partnership over many years between Aymara and the manufacturer, rather than shifting frequently from one manufacturer to another as is standard in the fashion world.
Another aspect of Aymara's approach to ethical business is to look beyond the direct suppliers to Aymara. This means that, in addition to looking at the manufacturers who ship directly to Aymara, we also look at conditions at the companies that supply to the manufacturers - all the way back to the suppliers of the raw materials. This can be a complicated task if the supplier network consists of many companies around the world. Luckily, Aymara's primary manufacturer covers the whole process from raw fibers over yarn spinning to finished garments. Therefore, most of the work put into an Aymara garment is performed by the same manufacturer who is a partner with Aymara in improving ethical standards. AYMARA is also looking into which steps can be taken to ensure improved ethical standards of suppliers of raw fibers and various supplemental inputs.
In addition to evaluating the supply chain, Aymara also look at the impact of its products after it is sold. As an example, Aymara only use biodegradable plastic bags from January 2010. The design and quality of the garments ensure longer lasting products. The minimum use of synthetic materials means that Aymara products do not cause harm to the environment after disposal. The goal is to ensure that the products have as little impact on the environment and use as few resources as possible.
Aymara has signed on to the UN Global Compact and Caring for Climate principles to support the ethical business movement and to show its own commitment.
www.unglobalcompact.org - www.sa-intl.org
Approach to ethical behavior includes the following aspects
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Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)
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Employment Rights and Working Conditions
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Environmental Impact, including climate change Fair Trade (raw materials)
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Resource Exploitation Community Impact Community benefits
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Consumer Health and Safety
Code of Conduct vs. Certification
Many fashion firms use a code of conduct to ensure that its manufacturers maintain ethical standards. A code of conduct is comprised of a long list of how manufacturers should conduct their
business, such as the prohibition of child labor, which the manufacturers are required to sign that they will live up to. The weak point in the code of conduct model is the verification of
manufacturers' implementation of the code. A signature to a code of conduct does not necessarily ensure that the code is being followed by a manufacturer. It is important to ensure strict
monitoring and review by independent auditors on unscheduled visits. However, strict monitoring is costly for the fashion firms issuing the code of conduct. Codes of conduct are also costly for
manufacturers who may be met with different codes of conducts from various customers.
Certification is an alternative to a code of conduct. Fashion firms that use manufacturers certified as fulfilling internationally recognized standards for ethical manufacturing don't have to worry about setting their own standards in a code of conduct and perform monitoring and review, as this is all done in the certification process. The certification imply the same - and often more strict - requirements as individual codes of conduct. One of the leading and most recognized ethical manufacturing standards is SA8000.
